Season 20: Episode Live Chat

[Emmeline]

Parma is going to be featured in Sports Illustrated  Swim Suit Issue this year.  She has a few of the pics on her Instagram.  What can’t she do?

Edited May 5, 2023 by Emmeline

[MerBearHou]

These small shops are so charming.  

[Bastet]

Yeah, I'm loving "going into" all these great specialty shops.

[CrazyInAlabama]

How sad that Victoire and Tom forgot the vegetables. 

I don't like strawberries, but Buddha's strawberries and cream sounds amazing. 

Tiramisu sounds a little too ordinary for RW, so I wonder if Victoire is making another mistake.    I hate that the vegetables were left behind, and now all four teammates will suffer for that mistake. 

Edited May 5, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Bastet]

I was looking down -- did we see who, specifically, left the basket behind?

[MerBearHou]

3 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

How sad that Victoire and Tom forgot the vegetables. 

Shoot, I missed that — I wondered whose basket that was.  That’s so sad to see.

Edited May 5, 2023 by MerBearHou

[Straycat80]

Oh that’s a shame about the forgotten basket. Not looking good now for team Tom, Victoire, etc…

[catrice2]

My service went out!!! I cant watch the episode but sounds like it is already over😒. No vegetables?

[Bastet]

Just now, catrice2 said:

No vegetables?

No, it was just one basket -- but it had all of Gabri's cauliflower.

LOL at Nicole asking herself "Are you new here?"

[Bastet]

Nice twist with a food critic being at one of the regular tables.

[MerBearHou]

Great idea having the secret diner / judge in the restaurant.  Super addition, I think.  

[FormerMod-a1]

Ooohh...  secret critic!

[Straycat80]

Is this the first time in restaurant wars that the judges are sitting there watching the chefs? Oh, and a food critic Is one of the diners. 

[Bastet]

Just now, Straycat80 said:

Is this the first time in restaurant wars that the judges are sitting there watching the chefs?

No, they've done that in at least one other season.

[Bastet]

The palate cleanser sorbet was a great idea.

[CrazyInAlabama]

Nicole is being a good teammate to Gabri, standing up for her food, but still helping him with ideas.  

Gabri has a great attitude.    

So, Team 1- Gabri, Tom, Victoire, and Nicole.   Tom's dish is a hit, Nicole is flopping badly.   Tom C and everyone complaining about the slow service is not good. Good point about Nicole and Gabri's dishes being too similar.   

I really like the secret critic. 

   

Edited May 5, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Straycat80]

So far looks like Nicole and Gabri might be in trouble. 

[Bastet]

Just now, Straycat80 said:

So far looks like Nicole and Gabri might be in trouble.

I think they liked his dish better, and I agree with the criticisms of both, but I'd much rather have hers.

[Straycat80]

3 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I think they liked his dish better, and I agree with the criticisms of both, but I'd much rather have hers.

Me too. I love seafood tortellini’s. 

[Quilt Fairy]

How is a full English breakfast part of a tasting menu?

[Bastet]

I think United Kitchen gave the staff really good information to work with, but their concept still has me a little nervous.  We'll see ...

[Straycat80]

UK doing well so far. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

Team 2-United Kitchen- Buddha, Amar, Ali, and Sara.   

They seem very organized, and seem to have a good plan.  Buddha's dishes sound very ambitious for the amount of time.   Buddha's course looks amazing, and Tom C. seems happy.   Amar's scallop dish went over very well.   Sara's Cullen Skink looks lovely, and the judges look very happy.   Ali's lamb dish is lacking sauce.  Tom C. going to the kitchen to check on Ali worries me.  Buddha's dessert looks incredible, and I think he's on the winning team, and the overall winner.  

Edited May 5, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[MerBearHou]

I love Amar’s personality above all, and that’s saying a lot because I like this group of chefs very much.

[rlc]

Were the veggies paid for by the first team? If so, I don’t understand why someone couldn’t take them to the kitchen for them. I’d hate to see Gabri eliminated for that. His dish would have had more texture if he had the cauliflower.

[Straycat80]

Aside from some criticism on Ali’s dish I think the UK team has won this one. 

[MerBearHou]

The meal I would want myself is the United Kitchen menu.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I love team UK winning, Buddha, Sara, Amar and Ali were rock stars.  And the individual winner is Buddha.    Great effort by the entire team. 

However, I hate that someone on the other team, Victoire, Gabri, Nicole, or Tom will be going to LCK.  They made a great effort.    I hate to see any of them go home.  

[Bastet]

I wish Sara had won, but I love her absolutely killing it after being picked last.

[MerBearHou]

I predict Nicole will be the one to go.

[Straycat80]

UK team wins. Buddha winner. 
Aw, Nicole goes home, I feel so bad for her, I was rooting for her. 

[Bastet]

"No, I didn't get salt -- it's smoked fish."  LOL!

I appreciate Victoire, in the midst of all the "I've never worked with this stuff in my life" commentary, saying of course she's worked with preserved fish, since not everyone in Africa has a refrigerator, so they utilize many techniques to preserve food.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I have issues with this quickfire.   I don't like preserved fish, so I'm already turned off by the quickfire challenge.    Kippers, smoked, dried, salted, etc.   No more immunity with only 7 cheftestants left.  

Sara's hot sauce must have been super hot, Padma and the guest just reaching their water glasses, and gulping it down was awful.   I bet her hot sauce burned their palates out. 

I love the commercials with Gregory.   

Edited May 12, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Bastet]

I'm so tired of the seafood and cheese commentary like it's a universal rule.  It's not even a rule all across Italy!

Edited May 12, 2023 by Bastet

[Straycat80]

The hot sauce must have been hot, Padma and the guest judge both took a slug of water. Lol! 

[Bastet]

Oh, yum - I love a good Thali, and now I'm drooling.

Edited May 12, 2023 by Bastet

[CrazyInAlabama]

I love seeing the restaurant Flora Indica, I love seeing the chefs work.  Asma Khan, this is so wonderful to see her.   What an honor for the chef to get to meet her, and eat her food.    I love hearing about the different food, and how it's made.  

[catrice2]

Who won quickfire, and who was High, low?

 

[Straycat80]

Indian food! I’m so jealous! It’s so good. 

[MerBearHou]

11 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

Who won quickfire, and who was High, low?

 

Amar won!  Buddha and Ali also did well (can’t believe I left out Ali initially).  Buddha did a cheese and fish dish that Padma said “swayed” her because she never put those two together.  

Sara and Gabri were low.  Sara — too salty; Gabri — cracker was not crispy.  

Edited May 12, 2023 by MerBearHou

[Bastet]

1 minute ago, MerBearHou said:

Amar won!  Buddha also did well.

Ali was the other one on top.  I wanted his dish most, then Amar's.

[Straycat80]

Just now, catrice2 said:

Who won quickfire, and who was High, low?

 

Amar won. And I think Ali was high. Low was Sara and Gabri. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

11 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

Who won quickfire, and who was High, low?

 

Amar won, and Sara and Gabri were low.  Sara's hot sauce was too hot for the guest judge, and Padma. 

Elimination challenge, create your own Thali, and include several different tastes (sweet, salty, etc.).   Amar gets 30 minutes extra to cook.   This was during the Queen funeral period, so they're going to be in the Top Chef kitchen.  They show some footage of the procession route and memorials.  

Victoire makes a great point.  Doing Padma's Indian food is like Victoire inviting Padma to come to her kitchen, and have Padma cook Congolese food.   

I love Asma's outfit.  She is so lovely and encouraging to the cheftestants.  

Edited May 12, 2023 by CrazyInAlabama

[Bastet]

I have not one single shit to give about the British monarchy, but it's nice they took that moment to acknowledge being there during the Queen's death.

[Straycat80]

So this was filmed in September 2022. The Queen had just passed. 

[bosawks]

I feel like the editing monkeys are pitting bursting with pride but missing kids (Amar) versus crying and sad missing kids (Sara).

Given my history of prognostication they will probably be safely in the middle….

[Bastet]

I hope Victoire heeds Padma's advice about the heat level, because that's my worry for her.

[Bastet]

Aw, that's cute trying to dress up the Stew Room as an Indian restaurant.

I think Amar did well for his first time.  It was fun how excited he'd get in the kitchen when something came out well.

Thali by Ali.  Ha!  I'm easily amused.

[MerBearHou]

Looking for clues in the editing, I think Gabri looks sad in his talking head interviews.  Who knows?  

[VintageJ]

Loving Amar.  He might win this challenge. I knew when they weren’t talking that they loved it.